Ear cleaning (adults)

I have a question for you ladies. How often do you and/or your partner clean your ears, and do you use cotton buds?

Personally I tend to clean mine with cotton buds every couple of days - They aren't particularly dirty, I just like that they feel cleaner 'n stuff.. This is just something I have always done since I was a child and my mum is the same (although she does hers daily).

DH on the other hand never uses cotton buds until his ears are feeling really blocked. This time around they got so blocked, after 3 days of feeling like he can't hear out of one ear and using the chemist drops, he had to go to the doc who syringed a huge blob out . He has always gone on about the fact that he was told it is really bad to use cotton buds cause they can damage your ears.

My ex was also the same and never used cotton buds. Both guys have had bad ear blockages and I myself have never had such problems... I'm guessing because I clean my ears?

So... what do you reckon?. What is the norm around here?

I'm a cotton bub user as well and haven't had any problems either. Dh does the same as well. I do it every few days and I have no idea how often DH does it.

busymum wrote: Also, having showers vs baths will impact it as soaking in the bath can clean them out.

Funny, cause that's what DH said too! He has baths every night with Alyssa - whereas I have showers.

Thanks queenbean What is the deal with cotton buds anyway, is it just a problem if people use them too far in or what?

So I guess my DH is just a waxy mofo..kind of reminds me of Shrek when he makes than candle out of his ear wax hehe ewww....

 those Shrek candles!!!

Funny, we have a similar argument here - DH believes nothing should ever be poked in as ear as they're self-cleaning (and he's never had any probs).  I on the other hand am a big fan of the cotton tips... because it feels so right! 

I do mine when I remember or when they get waxy and bug me, Willie is forever poking cotton buds into his ears, he must clean them almost daily I reckon. Strange man.

you should only be cleaning the outside bit of the ear not in the canal anyway with a damp flannel.

I use a hair clip... sorry ladies. Dosen't push the wax in. Don't do it often, my ears are fine. I clean round the outside of mine and the kids ears with a facecloth, but don't clean the wax out, I was told not to by both my dr and practice nurse? I just clean what I can see with a clean tissue on my wee finger, like the doc said.

I do mine every 2 or 3 days too, when I wash my hair. I have never cleaned Elles...never seen any sign of wax. DH says he never does his.

Lol. My mum always said to me 'Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear'.

But... I love cleaning my ears with cotton buds. I'm not sure if it actually does any cleaning, but I feel cleaner afterwards. Lol.

I used to have to have mine syringed once a year when I was a kid, a trait which my mother says runs in the family (as a couple of my uncles were the same).

*shrug*